EU Will Toughen Car Ads to Curb Gas Guzzlers

Car ads in Europe will soon have to highlight gas mileage and carbon dioxide emissions under regulations in the works from the European Union, Der Spiegel reports. EU commissioners hope regulating ads will motivate more Europeans to ditch gas-guzzling models, but manufacturers and media execs aren’t happy. The plan could push some automakers to drop their advertising altogether.

An EU strategy document says the proposal is all about “changing habits in consumption and production.” But the plan amounts to a “catastrophe” for print media, a spokesman for the German magazine publisher’s association says. Most German magazines rely on automakers for 20% of their ad revenues, and car manufacturers spend about $2.3 billion on advertising in the country. (More climate change stories.)